Sweetened Azuki Bean (Using Thermal Cooker) 蜜红豆 (焖烧锅食谱)

第一次尝试自己煮蜜红豆原来一点也不难，以后再也不用买罐头的蜜红豆了。

自己煮蜜红豆很经济实惠，一包$2的红豆煮出来成品足足一公斤有余。分成小包装冷冻起来可以慢慢用。可以用来做蛋糕，面包，加多点水煮一煮就成了红豆汤，再加工把蜜红豆捣烂炒过就是红豆沙了。

我用焖烧锅来煮，两个小时就搞定了。自从买了焖烧锅后家里煮汤焖东西都用它来代劳，方便又省电省煤气，电子砂锅早就被打入冷宫。

Sweetened Azuki Bean (Using Thermal Cooker)

Ingredients:

500g azuki bean/ red bean
1 litre water
400g sugar

Method:

1) Wash red bean, discard bad bean (if any), add into inner pot of the thermal cooker (I am using 2.5L thermal cooker), cook with water till boiling, let it boil for 10 mins.

2) Move the inner pot to the thermal cooker. Bring it out 1 hour later to cook on stove, bring to a boil then keep in the thermal cooker again.

3) Check 1 hour later, the red bean should be soft by now. If not, keep in thermal cooker for a while longer.

4) Transfer cooked red bean to a large mixing bowl (the bottom one may become too soft or broken, keep those and add water to cook red bean soup). Add sugar while the red bean is still hot, stir gently to prevent breaking the red bean. You can also prepare another mixing bowl, pour the red bean/sugar from one bowl to another bowl, repeat till the sugar is fully dissolved.

5) If not use immediately, divide and pack in several small bags, freeze.

Note:

1) Cooking time depends on individual thermal cooker, the above is just a guide. Thermal cooker works the best when the inner pot is about 70-80% filled, so if you are using a large thermal cooker, likely you need to extend the cooking time.

2) I am using 1:2:0.8 ratio, i.e amount of water is double of the red bean weight and the sugar is 80% of the red bean weight. You can cook any amount based on this ratio. I don’t advise to reduce the sugar largely because this will reduce the shelf life of the cooked red bean.

班兰汁和班兰精华 Home-made Pandan Essence

小时候看姑姑做班兰蛋糕时榨取班兰汁的方法是把班兰叶剪短后盅烂，然后再用手用力挤出班兰汁, 一点水也没加。挤出来的班兰汁是深绿色的，滴滴是精华。

当然现在应该很少人用这种原始的方法了。我对班兰叶有点敏感，每次处理后手就会痒痒红红的，所以很少自己弄班兰汁，偶尔想念班兰口味就用市售的pandan paste代替，根本不到位。

这天妈妈带来好多新鲜的班兰叶，大概有三四把。我觉得如果就让它们干了坏了很可惜。于是就勤劳点弄了一罐班兰汁，收在冰箱里慢慢用。不是很确定新鲜班兰汁可以收多久，到现在大概一个多星期了还没变坏。

做法很简单，把班兰叶剪短然后加入搅拌机，加最小量的水（让搅拌机可以操作的份量就行了，这点视个别搅拌机的功能而定）把班兰叶打烂。如果要搅大量的班兰叶建议不要一次过加完，搅烂一部分后再一点一点加，水份也一样。最后把班兰汁过滤，最好是倒入布袋内用手像挤椰浆一样挤干。

把挤出的班兰汁静置冰箱内一天底部沉淀深绿色的部分就是班兰精华了。上面浅绿色的部分也很香，可以配搭班兰精华来使用。

Home-made Pandan Essence

Cut Pandan leaves (screwpine) into small pieces with scissors.

Put them into blender and add as little water as possible, just to allow the machine to puree the pandan leaves. If you are blending a lot of pandan leaves, add them bit-by-bit, same to the water amount.

Once done, sieve the mixture over a fine strainer and squeeze the pandan pulp to extract the juice as much as you can.

Store the juice in a clean container, let it sit in the fridge for at least one day.

You will notice the pandan juice will be separated into two parts. The green concentrated bottom is the pandan essence. This is the part which gives your bake the lovely green hue and intense pandan frangrance. As it is very precious, so use it with pandan juice (the clear light green part) to make up of the amount needed (usually 1-2 tbsp of pandan essence is good enough for an 8” pandan cake). Of course if you have plenty to spare, use it liberally as you like.

在来米粉 Taiwan Rice Flour

在来米粉是台湾的叫法，其实就是我们这里的粘米粉（rice flour）。

这一包有500克，是年初时让爸妈从台湾带回来的，本来是想买蓬莱米粉的（因为这材料广泛使用在妃娟老师的书《美味糕点新主张》里头）但是找不到，所以就买了在来米粉。起初我以为是一样的，仔细读了妃娟老师的书后才发现原来两者是不同的。

一晃眼大半年过去了我才拿出来使用（晕）。在来米粉第一炮用来做了什么呢？等着看我上菜吧！

Ginger Juice ~ Simple Way To Extract and Its Usage

Here is the simple way to extract ginger juice. Don't need any high-tech electrical appliance, just a peeler (or small kitchen knife), grater and sieve will do.

What you need:

How?

Wash ginger and peel the skin with a peeler or small kitchen knife. Grate the peeled ginger with grater.

(Do not cut out the exact required size, try using a bigger chunk of ginger so that you can hold the ginger more easily in hand.)

Place the grated ginger in a sieve over a bowl. Use a spoon to press out the juice (you may use your hand too).

And, here is the freshly extracted ginger juice.

One big thumb-size of ginger yields about one tablespoon of ginger juice.

Ginger juice is commonly used in Chinese cooking, most of the time as marinade. It can be used to make dessert too.

It is also a natural remedy for bloated stomach. Dilute ginger juice with water, cook and bring to a boil. Add some brown sugar and serve hot.

Agar-agar Powder 燕菜精

This is a common brand of agar-agar powder found in our local supermarket. I bought it in J.B (Malaysia) at RM2.30/pack (10g).

Agar-agar is a Malay word, it means jelly.

It is a vegetable gelatin, one with high gelling properties and used by vegetarians because true gelatin is made from calf's feet.

Like ordinary gelatin, agar-agar powder is flavorless and becomes gelatinous when it's dissolved in water, heated and then cooled.

Oyster Sauce 蚝油

蚝油有提鲜的作用，不论是烹煮肉类或是蔬菜都很合适。蚝油也是很好的腌料。

市场上的蚝油林林总总，每个牌子的蚝油味道品质都不尽相同，所以做出的菜味道也会有差别。

这是我家用的蚝油，妈妈特别推荐的。这款蚝油味道很鲜美，做菜时只需下一点就足够了。

这个牌子的蚝油有几种包装和价位，我选购的是这款包装，价钱大概是马币十三元一罐或是新币六元左右。

Wholemeal Flour 全麦面粉

第一次买全麦面粉，也是第一次接触到全麦面粉。原来全麦面粉摸起来的手感是粗粗脆脆的，还有一股麦香。

500g around SGD3.00

Azuki (Red Bean) Paste 日本红豆馅

Bought from Daiso - SGD2.00

I finished the whole can in 3 sessions. Used it to make matcha red bean muffin, matcha red bean sponge cake and matcha red bean loaf.

Red bean and matcha is always a perfect match!

Matcha (Green Tea) Powder 绿茶粉

Bought from Phoon Huat - 20g about SGD2.50

Matcha (green tea) powder specially for bakery.

Green Bean Glass Noodles 绿豆粉丝(冬粉)

100g/pack - SGD0.70 (3 for SGD 1.95)

This is the glass noodles I always buy. I bought from Fu Hua medical hall. This type of glass noodles is more elastic (more 'Q') and not easy to become soggy after cooking.

Japanese Curry Roux 日本咖哩块

100g - about SGD3.90 (for serving of 5~6)

This is available in major supermarket. I bought mine from NTUC. There are two versions, 'Hot' and 'Mild'. I chose the 'Hot' one.

It is really convenient to use. I wonder when our local style curry premix sauce can be transformed into cube form.

Panko (パン粉) 日式面包糠

150g - RM3.90 (bought from Jusco)

Panko is Japanese breadcrumbs. It is made from bread without crusts. Thus, it is finer and softer than western style breadcrumbs.

The one in the picture is extra fine Panko, the texture is more powdery than the normal type.

Coconut Cream Powder 椰浆粉

50g/pack - about SGD0.60

Instant Yeast 速溶酵母

SGD2.00/box (one box consists of 5 sachets x 11g)

This can be easily found in local supermarket and even convenience store near your doorstep. I bought mine from the provision shop (杂货店) next to my block.

Ovalette (aka Sponge Cake Emulsifier or SP) 蛋糕乳化剂

Bought from Phoon Huat - 250g around SGD2.50

Ovalette is a stabiliser used in baking sponge cakes. It helps the eggs to rise rapidly and stiffly.

As it is acidic it also helps the beaten eggs to remain stable and not lose the airy and voluminous texture. It makes sponge cake softer and smoother.

(Source: Diana's Desserts Forum)

Pandan Paste 班兰精

60ml - RM6.40

用新鲜的班兰叶自制的班兰精固然好，不过如果没有班兰叶，或者要省时省力，用这个来代替还是不错的。

这个牌子的pandan paste不像一般的班兰香精尽是人造加工的味道，它保有班兰叶的天热香味，而且已加入青色素，用的时候很方便。

Cocoa Powder 可可粉

250g - RM10.80

以前是装在铁罐里的，现在是包在锡箔纸里然后用纸盒包装。

但是，价钱不降反增，什么道理嘛？！